GCC Tours Eileen Cook!

First of all, how awesome is this cover? This is what my readers would like to see happen to my character, Kate Endicott in SISTERS OF MISERY. :)

Anyway, I want to thank Eileen for stopping by to promote her book which comes out tomorrow, so I hope everyone goes and braves the post-holiday sales to pick up a copy.

And I also wanted to thank Eileen especially for stopping by on my birthday! Today I'm celebrating the 15th anniversary of my 21st birthday! You guys can do the math. I stopped counting at 30! :)

Without further ado, here's a little more info on Eileen's latest book, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, as well as a Q&A on the fun topic of *REVENGE*!! What a great way to kick off a new year, hee hee!

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

Simon Pulse Release Date: January 5, 2010

Eileen Cook www.eileencook.com

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

About the Author:

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Praise for Eileen’s Writing:

“Sassy and sly and sweet all at the same time, this book made me laugh out loud.” --Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead

“Not since Judy Blume's Margaret introduced herself to God has there been such a funny, genuine, conflicted, wanna-be-sorta-good-maybe-later girl as Emma. Cook's tone as she takes on the big ones—life, love, faith, and friendship—is pitch perfect.”--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Midnight Twins and The Deep End of the Ocean

"Smart and fun and full of heart." --Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks and How to Be Bad

Q & A with Eileen Cook

1. First topic: Revenge. What is your experience with it? Have you ever sought revenge? As the old adage goes, do you think that living well is the best revenge?

We are revenge twins! My book is all about the quest for getting the perfect revenge. I had a tremendous amount of fun with coming up with evil plans. In real life I’ve thought about revenge (apparently enough that I wrote a whole book on it), but I’ve never done it. I do think living well is the best way to go. Way less stressful and not likely to result in any criminal charges.

2. Cliques and mean girls are everywhere. At book signings I've had everyone from 12 year old girls to 45 year old women tell me they still encounter them. Do you? How has it changed since you were a teen?

I don’t think the “mean girls” phenomenon has changed since I was a teen- just the ways they have to go about being mean (i.e. Now they can reach out and use Facebook to make your life hell). The sad truth is that there are people who only feel good about themselves by trying to make other people feel bad about themselves. The good news is that this is a lousy way to live your life and eventually karma catches up with them.

3. I have a "Writing Music" playlist on my iPod. What would be on yours? What one song or artist captures the essence of your book?

When I’m writing I love to have music on, but I find if it has a lot of words I tend to sing along instead of paying attention to my story. I have a whole playlist of movie soundtrack music.

4. What do you tell people is your favorite book/author? Now what is your "real" favorite book/author. (i.e. I tell people Pale Fire by Nabokov is my fave, but right now I'm really into Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.)

I always have a hard time with this question. My typical answer is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving because I really do love the book and have read it a zillion times, but the true answer is usually whatever I am reading at the moment. I love being caught up in a story for the first time. You know it’s fiction, but you still care so much about what happens. I love that.

5. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

Oooh hard question. I can’t think of any particular actress I would like to be, although I think it would be fun to do that job. It would be interesting to be a really good female athlete because I’m basically terminally clumsy so it would be nice not to trip over things all the time. Changing places with someone in London (my all time favorite city (MKH Note: Mine, too! Minus all the rain and cloudy days, of course!) would be good because I can always think of something fun to do if I’m there. I’m also open to spending the day in New York, Paris or a place near here called Tofino that is right on the ocean.

I think the problem is that while in high school I wanted to pretty much anyone other than myself, right now I like my life. I might just stay put.

6. Who would be in your dream cast if your book was made into a movie or television series? (And multimillion dollar salaries were no issue--they'd all do it for free!)

I’ve been asked this sort of question before and I stink at it. I come up with one name and then change my mind and then sit there and spend hours on IMDB trying to figure out a better plan B. Personally, I would like to cast Colin Firth so I could meet him, even though there is no real Colin Firth type character in the book. Thus, I will leave the casting to Hollywood as long as they promise to invite me to the fancy parties.

7. As a publicist, I know that it's important for every novel to have journalistic hook. For The Lost Sister, it's mean girls, bullies and hazing. What's yours?

For Getting Revenge it would be about how friendships change, the quest for revenge and what is the best way to get revenge.

8. Just because it hasn't been asked yet, favorite 1980's movie?

Breakfast Club. Or Pretty in Pink. Maybe 16 Candles. As you can see I had a strong Molly Ringwald fetish. (MKH note: Me too! When I try to remember stuff about my high school days, I have to try hard to differentiate between what really happened, and what happened in a Molly Ringwald/John Hughes movie!)

9. Why should I choose your book for my book club?

Other than the fact that I would really appreciate it, I would guess there would be some great discussion between the book club on if they have ever wanted revenge, if it is ever okay to get revenge, and what is the best revenge you can get.

10. I'm a huge and fabulously powerful movie producer and you have 30 seconds (an elevator pitch) to sell me on why your book is great and should be made into a movie. Go!

Let’s be honest, in real life I would start blathering and maybe doing that thing where you spit when you talk. You would assume I was off my medications. If I had it together I would say something like: Doesn’t everyone dream of getting revenge on someone who has done them wrong? This is one girl’s story of getting the revenge she’s always dreamed of- now she has to figure out if that is what she really wants.